Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-02

to pier, It's bright red ratings standing in
bold relief and pleasing combination OF
color against the green woods on the oppo-
site hills. Under the shadows of tall
cedars ascend by steep roadway from
which a view of the little hamlet of
lrimachi, where hope to stay some time,
takes me cpative for a while with its
beauty. 1 pass under huge tori OF granite
given by some prince. A tori is an arch
either OF stone, bronze or wood, and is
placed before the entrance to all sacred
places. These tori form one of the
most striking features in all japanese land
scapes, for they are to be seen everywhere,
some as large as this one, which is about
thirty feet high. others all the way down
to the size of one | saw before a little
shrine in the woods, which was scarce six
inches in hight. Tori means birds rest,
and the two parallel pieces which form the
arch seem to be well understood by the
feathered tribe. A beautiful pagoda, which
has all the colors Of the rainbow, rises five
stories high, and is marvel of workman
ship. After all, though, it is only huge
piece of cabinet-work, and would really be
just as effective were 1t but a foot high
Though many temples are extremely inn
presslve in their magnitude, think Japa-
nese architecture loses mora than It gains
by increase in size.
MOST GRACEFUL COPPER COLUMN,
Some forty feet high, is adorned with the
arms of the Tokugawas, in gold and orna.
mented with the same precious metal in
many designs-my japanese friends tell me
it is gold, and | am bound to believe. From
the top of the column spring out number
of metal lotus leaves, and from the top oil
each little bell depends; there are also
some larger bells near by, and the wind
makes constant music, the different tones
Ginning well. Snow lies everywhere, and
makes one think that all the airy carvings
about him may be composed of some
equally evaneseent substance. Gates,
temples, corridors are all one blaze
of gliding and coSr-surely by some
magic the builders must have found way
to solidify the gorgeous rainbows for which
the country Is famed, and render them
never fading in these cree tons. The shrine
of Iyeyasu contains gold lacquer of price
less value silken hangings and gold uten-
sils !; the ceilings inlaid and divided into
panels the floors of softest, finest mating.
To reach this sacred spot l had to wall
over cold stone pavement without shoes,
which was by no means an agreeable thing
to do, but the beauties of the mausoleum
and shrine fully repaid me for the slight
tribute. / almost believe that it is less
the sanetity of place which causes
this shoe-shedding than the fneRess of
the mating. When | came out dreading
the walk back over the stones, l found
the priest in charge had had carpet rolled
along, which prevented any annoyance
second time. 1t was very kind of him,
and my thanking him led to converse
sation, with a limited stock of words,
which, however, was enough to express
compliments to our respective nations and
a wish to meet again. With tie two Budd-
hist priests | have met have been greatly
pleased. Climbing the moss-covered steps,
said to be 200 in number, it is an easy mat
ter to
BEND THE KNEES AT THE TOMB OF IYEYAsU
But rather troublesome to straighten them
again until the reverent attitude has given
the muscles a rest this may account for
the unusual length of time my friends de-
voted to giving homage to the heros ashes.
1t is a lonely but beautiful spot, hidden
away among gloomy trees, through which
the wind is always signing. The guides
to Nikko are like their brethren all
over the world, except TO foreigner,
to whom they are indeed god
send, especially when he does not under
stand word they say, tor then their
ceaseless monotone forms a strain which
Joins in symphony the sounds of birds
and wind and falling water. My guide L
shall never forget. Lame and partly
WE'LL. he sung his dreary song as
he toddled before me with sounding
clogs. When or where he left me do not
know l suddenly missed the sound of his
voice, and, looking around, saw no one,
and Il deep-toned, mournful bell struck five
times. They were the closing notes of the
symphony. | slipped back into my pocket
the tip hand in my hand for him, and
turned away toward Isimachi. That guide
was as much of an apparition as the red
and green snakes which appeared to
Shodo Shonin. | had left my friends
at a temple with many bowings and Sayoa-
dras (good-bysl They were two gentle
men whose kindness to stranger ! shall
always remember gratefully though one of
them had exchanged his kimOnO Japanese
coat for foreign suit which disturbed
many pretty picture by its horrid fit.
THERE WAS SACRED HORSE,
Which ought to have been, by all rules,
white, but was faded sorrel, yet l fed
him, and dropped cent in the box by his
stall. This stall is overshadowed by tall
tree ola particular kind, looking like pine,
but with thicker and fiat needles or leaves.
1t is said to be the tree which Iyeyasu car
ried about with him when it was small
others say, though, that it was planted
here by Kobo Daishi thousand years ago.
Still others say Kobo Daishi, who invented
the rakana form of syllabary, never came
near this place. 1t is just so with us. One
says Washington cut down cherry-tree,
and another says he did not.
A holy fountain interested me much a
basin cut from a huge block of granite,
over the sides of which the water pours in
thin sheets, unbroken, and with scarce
ripple, looking like plate of glass against
the stone Some iron or bronze candelabra
presented to the temple by the Hollanders
are shown they are different from those
of native make, in having a socket to
hold the candle, while the latter have a
spike which runs into the candle. Spells
taken from the Roman Catholic churches
of Holland, probably, were these and other
gifts. remember as a boy of seeing
a picture, in CULVER" l think of Hol-
lander's foot trampling on a crucifix.
This was what Holland was willing to do
for the miserable right of sending ships
once year to trade. Japan can point with
scorn too often at the foreigner. The nature
and the art of Nikko are truly sublime.
A religion which could create these glories,
could chose so grand spot for the pur-
pose to show its love of God through ma
ture, cannot surely be passing away. 1t
will change, but | hope that change will
be slow, for l dread the iconoclasm of sud
den conversions. CHAs. a. GUNNIsoN.
zz@zzx-zz1---.@
A PAPER CHIMNEY.--A large factory of